Belvidere girls soccer team falls in sectional final to Glen Ridge

Belvidere's #15 Jenna Kovalsky, left, emerges from a group with the ball during first-half action today at Belvidere.Express-Times Photo | LISA MASSEY

When Jenna Kozlowski's cross was inadvertently put into the net by the Glen Ridge defense, Belvidere seemed to have the break it needed.

But even though they led 1-0 at halftime, the County Seaters hadn't seen the real Ridgers just yet.

"Coach told us that we were the better team," Glen Ridge freshman forward Tomison Kennedy said. "He said we had to go out and show it."

Kennedy seemed to take coach Oscar Viteri's words to heart. She set up second-half goals by seniors Meghan MacDonald and Claire Malone and Glen Ridge went on to win the North 2 Group 1 girls soccer sectional title today with a 2-1 win.

As a result, Glen Ridge won its third sectional title in Viteri's 12 years as head coach and denied Belvidere its fourth championship under Amy Krushinski.

"You'd think it would work in your favor," said Krushinski of the play that saw Kozlowski's cross from the left side end up in the far corner of the net after it glanced off a Ridger defender.

"It's hard to get something like that out of your mind. That's mental toughness and they've got a good group of seniors on their team just as we do."

Belvidere had a couple of good chances to extend its lead early in the second half but a header by Jessie Sharr, then a redirect of an Erin Catterson cross by Drew Holjes, were stopped by freshman keeper Ryanne Ege.

But shortly after those saves, about 11 minutes in, Glen Ridge notched the equalizer. MacDonald ran onto Kennedy's through ball, shook a defender and drove home a shot from just outside the box.

That goal got the Ridgers going. MacDonald nearly ran down another lead pass, then Malone sent a free kick wide of the post. Off a corner kick, MacDonald had an open shot but keeper Taylor Pryslak made the save.

Finally with about 10 minutes to go, a foul gave Glen Ridge another free kick. Malone was teeing the ball up about 35 yards out to Pryslak's left when Viteri shouted at her to let Kennedy take it.

"We needed a better header in there," Viteri said.

"I usually take them when we're closer to the goal," Malone said. "That was like a corner kick so he wanted her (Kennedy) to take it.

"She played it perfectly across and I stepped inside the defender and headed it in."

"That was a great set play," Krushinski said. "There aren't too many keepers who could stop that one."

Belvidere tried to rally in the final minutes but couldn't get a good shot at Ege.